Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat betting tips & odds – BBL13

Strikers vs Heat BBL match preview

The BBL13 season continues on Saturday night as the Adelaide Strikers play their opening match against the Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval.

After finishing in seventh place last season, the Strikers will be keen for a much better tournament. They boast explosive options at the top with BBL 12 player of the tournament Matt Short partnering new recruit D’Arcy Short, while veteran hitter Chris Lynn offers a real X-factor coming in at three.

The Strikers’ bowling line-up was dealt a major blow with star import Rashid Khan ruled out due to injury, leaving their spin options limited to Ben Manenti and Cameron Boyce. Wes Agar and Brendan Doggett are expected to lead the pace attack, while English all-rounder Jamie Overton is also expected to provide some overs.

The Heat kicked off their campaign with a stellar 103-run win on Thursday night against the Melbourne Stars. Led by Colin Munro’s 99 not out, the Heat set a formidable total of 214 before bowling out the Stars for just 111. Leg spinner Mitch Swepson led the way with three wickets, while the pace pairing of Michael Neser and Xavier Bartlett took two wickets each.

The Heat looked excellent in all departments on Thursday, but now they will have to plug a few holes. Aussie Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne are set to leave the squad due to national commitments, while Jimmy Peirson and Matt Renshaw are still away with the Prime Minister’s XI. This should mean Josh Brown returns to the top of the order, while all-rounder Jack Wood may also have a part to play.

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Strikers vs Heat betting strategy

After their impressive showing on Thursday night, the Heat will be full of confidence. With the Strikers top order likely the key to this matchup, Michael Neser and Xavier Bartlett will need to put together another excellent start with the ball. The Heat have excellent depth with the bat despite their missing stars and the Strikers bowling line-up appears thin, so Brisbane look like good value as -125 favourites at Bet365.

After his impressive BBL12, Strikers batter Matt Short will be keen to start his campaign strongly as he returns from a stint with the national side. A composed batsman who builds throughout his innings, Short likes to make the most of the short square boundaries at Adelaide Oval. He is the kind of player that can drag his side to a win on his own, so back Short as the Strikers’ leading runscorer at +250 with top cricket bookmakers.

With the Heat’s Test players leaving the squad, Sam Billings is in line for a promotion in the batting order. The Englishman boasts vast experience at the highest level of T20 cricket and has a wide array of unorthodox shots that allow him to manipulate the field. Tipped to come in at number three, Billings is a great play to top score for the Heat at +400.

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